Man in van on U.S. 13 was shot to death

NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE (3/8/2015) A man found dead in a van along U.S. 13 near New Castle this morning was shot to death, state police said tonight.

Police identified the victim as Shelton Johns, 32, of Wilmington, and said the state Division of Forensic Science ruled the death was a homicide, with the cause of death being gunshot wounds to the upper torso.

The police investigation closed portions of two major highways for six hours south of Wilmington this morning.

The investigation began about 5 a.m. when Johns was found dead and a woman injured inside a Chrysler Town and Country van that went off the east side of U.S. 13 into a ditch just south of the Interstate 495 on-ramp , Master Cpl. Jeffrey Hale said. A passerby made the discovery and called police.

Police have not released many details on the incident, saying it is still under investigation, but apparent bullet holes were visible in the van.

The woman in the van, a 33-year-old from Wilmington, was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment of injuries and is in stable condition, Hale said.

Troopers located a second vehicle and other evidence on northbound I-495 just north of the southern I-95 split and detectives are trying to determine if they are related to the van.

I-495 was closed at the Interstate 95 split, and northbound U.S. 13 was closed at Memorial Drive due to the police activity. The ramp from southbound I-495 to southbound U.S. 13 also was closed.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact Detective Fred Chambers at 302-739-5939. Information can also be provided to the Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.